Intensely focused, his eyes like laser beams locked in on his computer screen, Mike Kloeber is one of the most meticulous and uncompromising crew chiefs in drag racing.
 
He has spoken about how he'll "lie awake at night . . . thinking about how to do this right . . . and when you're not the person driving the car, you have to make absolute certain you can send it down the racetrack without hurting [the driver]."  When they earned six consecutive IHRA Top Fuel championships together, racer Clay Millican said that whatever Kloeber chose to do to his dragster, "that's what we do, because I know he has thought it out."

Intensely focused, his eyes like laser beams locked in on his computer screen, Mike Kloeber is one of the most meticulous and uncompromising crew chiefs in drag racing.
 
He has spoken about how he'll "lie awake at night . . . thinking about how to do this right . . . and when you're not the person driving the car, you have to make absolute certain you can send it down the racetrack without hurting [the driver]."  When they earned six consecutive IHRA Top Fuel championships together, racer Clay Millican said that whatever Kloeber chose to do to his dragster, "that's what we do, because I know he has thought it out."
 
Innovative and insightful, Kloeber is as compassionate as he is passionate.
 
And he's everything Tony Pedregon needs right now.
 
The Funny Car driver sat out a qualifying session Saturday at Bristol Dragway's Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals. His heart hurts as much as his bank account does, knowing that times are lean and that strategy has to be radical sometimes.
 
But that's something Kloeber understands and has put in perspective, something Pedregon can absorb for inspiration. As adeptly as he turns a wrench, Kloeber spins the paradigm.
 
"Unfortunately, I have had to work in situations where the team doesn't have the funding they need. Fortunately, I have been very successful in some of these situations," he said. "So it's only part of the parameters you have to work with, not so much as a 'problem.' You just do what you have to do, and the objective will be met."
 
Kenny Koretsky, the former Pro Stock owner/driver turned team builder/financier and lifeline to several of today's strong-but-struggling drag racers, knew that's what would help Pedregon.
 
"Kenny Koretsky, who owns Nitro Fish and is also a big supporter of Tony Pedregon, is the person who suggested Tony bring me in to take a look at the operation," Kloeber said. "Kenny was confident I could help out and get this deal headed in the right direction."
 
Although Kloeber's love is drag-racing technology and although he wasn't involved with a team, he also wasn't sitting by the telephone. He has a full-time position as the production manager at Perkins Pacific in Vancouver, Wash. (PPI is one of North America's largest distributors of Perkins heavy-duty industrial engines and re-manufactures Perkins engines and Allison transmissions.
 
"I am very fortunate that they are allowing me to have the time to help Tony and his crew," he said. Besides, he said, "I'd do almost anything for Kenny. He's a longtime friend and former car owner -- plus Kenny's a lot of fun to hang out with."
 
Koretsky had a stake in the Werner/Nitro Fish Dragster that Millican drove at the end of his stellar IHRA career.
 
So, Kloeber said, "Tony Pedregon asked me to help him get back on track with his combination that has worked so well in the past."
 
Not one to sugar-coat situations, Kloeber, who for the moment works with the Borwnsburg, Ind.-based team on a race-to-race basis, said he's positive about Pedregon's performance potential, even in rocky financial times.
 
"After one race with Tony and his car chief, Chris Spall, I learned a lot about his car and how they have run it in the past. My expectation is to work on the set-up, getting back to square one, and start getting qualified well and winning rounds," Kloeber said.
 
"Tony has the same parts he had when he was running so well last year. I have been impressed with how well the car has run, and it shows lots of promise," he said. "If we can make steady progress from run to run and race to race, it will be winning rounds soon. Winning rounds is the obvious way to staying in the top 10."
 
Pedregon entered the Bristol event in 10th place, clinging to hopes of Countdown eligibility with Kloeber's team debut at the SuperNationals at Englishtown, N.J.
 
Kloeber indicated he's optimistic about Pedregon's chances to compete for a third Funny Car title. More important, though, is that he believes Pedregon can win and can build on what he has now.
 
"Tony's operation was very well-organized when I came to Englishtown," Kloeber said. "He has a good parts supply, just not an excessive inventory some teams have. Tony has good support from his sponsors. That by itself is very important to maintaining a good attitude and communication.
 
"His program isn't as well funded as he would like," Kloeber said, citing the lament of every racer, no matter what the economic climate. "But he does have good equipment and people.
 
"People and equipment," Kloeber said, "are what will help Tony through the trying financial times."